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Insights into Sushi with Chef Hirotoshi Ogawa at IFCA 2015

“Press the rice as gently, as you would press your lover’s
palm!”quipped Chef Hirotoshi Ogawa as he tactfully shaped a lump of vinegared
rice for a Nigiri. The deft and graceful movement of his hands held me in a
trance, much like the mudras of an Odissi dancer.

Chef Hirotoshi Ogawa teaches at the All Japan Sushi Association and was conducting a Sushi workshop at the International Chef's Conference, IFCA 2015.

His face shone with sweat as
he surgically sliced through a hunk of tuna, with hardly a glance at it. He was
streaming out every step in great detail in a flurry of Japanese, made
comprehensible by his adept translator Ruchi Naithani Chinoy. The twinkle in his eyes, when he spoke about Sushi immediately reminded me of Jiro-san of the
legendary 3-Michelin starred Jiro’s. I, sadly, have only laid eyes upon Jiro
and his masterful creations in the Essential-watch-for-every-Sushi-lover movie,
Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Right after he closed the demo by showcasing some gorgeous
Sasa leaf cuttings and decorative Sushi he had prepared earlier, I trudged up
to the vivacious Ruchi to enquire if the Chef could spare some time for a chat
with me.

I watched as Chef Ogawa tirelessly dished out an endless
stream of Nigiris and Maki Rolls to hungry delegates during the lunch break.
Each Sushi was flawless and, by far the best I had ever tasted. After my 12th
one, I finally got tired of eating Sushi, but the Chef continued serving till
everyone had their share. I saw him mentor young Chefs and students, sportingly
posing for pictures and doling out words of advice. Amazed by his energy, I
wondered if I’ll ever get the chance to pick his brains.

I kept pestering Ruchi for some time and picked up some great
gyaan. A gastronome herself, she gave
me insights into Japanese food and culture from an Indian perspective. As an
added bonus, Ruchi told me about the right way to dip a Sushi into the bowl of
accompanying Soya sauce. Sideways, and the lesser condiments on it, the better
if you have high quality Sushi. Finally,
Ruchi graciously managed to squeeze in a short session with Chef Ogawa, in
between his interactions with the who’s-who of the Indian culinary scene.

Perched up on a Sofa in the lobby, I fired away. Ruchi,
always attentive, seamlessly translated exactly what I wanted to say and added
in her unique two pence as well. Here’s how our chat went.

Me: You mentioned
working with fish caught off the coast of Tamil Nadu for your last Sushi
workshop. How did that go? How does the local seafood compare to what you might
buy from Tsukiji (the legendary Tokyo fish market)?

Chef Ogawa: It
turned out pretty well actually. Some of the Tuna and Mackerel we fished out
were really good. The trick is to adapt your Sushi to the properties of your
produce. If you can do that, some of the local fish is very well suited for
making specific kinds of Sushi. When comparing it to what I would buy from
Tsukiji, there are two things to be kept in mind.

The first being the seasonal variation in temperature of
Japanese waters. Back home, the water temperature varies quite a bit throughout
the year leading to different varieties of seasonally available seafood. The
prized Fatty Tuna for example, thrives in cold water and winter brings with it
the best Tuna of the year. Therefore, my Sushi menu changes with the season to
showcase what is truly at its peak at that time of the year. Indian waters,
however remain almost uniformly warm throughout the year as most of India’s
coast line is equatorial. The warm temperature hinders fat development in fish
like Tuna, making it difficult to use local produce for some signature Sushi.

The other thing is the major difference in the way seafood
is stored and handled. Japanese
fishermen take great care in flash freezing their catch immediately after
retrieving it from the water. This along with strict quality standards for
handling and storage ensures that only the highest quality – taste and safety
wise- fish makes it to the iconic Tokyo fish market. Indian fishermen, given
local cooking technique & economics, obviously don’t follow these measures.
However, with the right equipment and training I don’t see why the same quality
cannot be achieved here. Ruchi concurred that the freshly caught fish, used by
the Chef in his last workshop here was truly comparable to the Japanese fare.

Me: In my dining
experience with Sushi in India, I noted that the cuisine remains inaccessible
to the general populace. Except in cities like Chennai and Gurgaon, where the
local Japanese population has spawned a number of stand-alone eateries serving
the cuisine, Sushi is hard to find outside Five-star properties in Indian
metros. Even when it is served in these standalone restaurants, it is rather
pricey, perhaps due to the imported ingredients and salaries of expat chefs.
You mentioned that you are passionate about popularizing Sushi across the
globe. How can we make Sushi as accessible as Pasta or Dimsums in India?

Chef: Indeed, it
is true that Sushi in India is still a niche cuisine, rarely known outside
circles of food connoisseurs. Part of the issue is, as we spoke about earlier,
the need to import a majority of the seafood. I believe that Indian seafood can
make for some great Sushi, but not the exact same thing we eat in Japan. Indian
Sushi chefs need to acquire skills to get the best out of the produce available
here. They might have to modify some of their technique to bring out the best
from local fish. This along with well-regulated sourcing techniques will
certainly bring down the need to import everything.

The other issue is the reliance on Japanese chefs. If you
get a Sushi chef from Japan for your kitchen and then compensate him for the
cooking and the lifestyle change in Yen, it will obviously be a very costly
affair. The way forward is Indian chefs taking over the mantle. I have seen
some of them in action here at Megu (The Leela) and Edo (ITC). They keep their
Sushi stations in order and are quick to pick up technique. Once they hone
those techniques to perfection, they can be world class Sushi chefs themselves.

Me: My last
question for you. I have noticed that the same items turn up on Sushi menus
everywhere in India. Almost identical arrays of Nigiris and Maki Rolls, omnipresent
from Gurgaon and Mumbai to Bangalore. So, how diverse is the Sushi food
culture? Also, the growing trend these days seems to be fusion cuisine, so is
Sushi being played around with too, in Japan and elsewhere?

Chef: (Laughs) that is true. There is generally a standard
variety of dishes in most Sushi Menus. However, the variety of Sushi you get in
Japan is enormous compared to what you get here. As I mentioned earlier, some
of it has to do with the seasonal produce culture. It is worth noting that the
best Sushi chefs in the world are mostly in Japan. If you are eating Sushi
outside, it likely not the same level of taste and quality of what you would
find in Japan. This is because our best critics and connoisseurs are back home.
Sushi is thriving and ever-popular in Japan, and our people keep coming back
for the traditional varieties. So we really don’t see a need to do something
fancy, but rather focus on maintaining the high standards we have achieved.

I have come across some fusion Sushi outside of Japan,
mostly in the US. While some of it is interesting, sadly much of it is a
gimmick to disguise the sub-par quality of ingredients or the amateur Sushi
skills of the chef. A reason I see most
reputed Sushi joints outside Japan sticking with a limited conventional menu,
is the high investment required for the imported ingredients, equipment and
manpower. Rather than risking something extravagant, they treat the customer to
what Sushi is expected to be. They play it safe, and serve what sells.

Me: That’s all
the questions I had for you. You have been extremely kind and given me insights
I couldn't possibly have come across otherwise. I am extremely grateful to you
for taking out time from your marathon-like schedule for this chat. Thank you!

Chef: It was my
pleasure. I am happy to note your interest in Sushi and hope you can help
promote Sushi in India.

And, we end with this!

Note: I was covering the 6th International Chef's Conference for IFCA as a part of the social media team. I was invited after winning a food blogging contest organized by them. All my expenses during the conference, unless otherwise mentioned, were borne by IFCA. Stay tuned for more memoirs from the event.

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